Figoni & Falaschi

I - Giuseppe Figoni: From Craftsman to Coachbuilder

Giuseppe Figoni was born on 29 December 1892 in Boccolo dei Tassi, near Piacenza in northern Italy. As a child, he moved with his family to the Paris region, where he would eventually establish himself in Boulogne-Billancourt, one of the emerging centres of the French motor industry.

Known in France as Joseph Figoni, he began his working life far from the elegant automobiles that would later make his name. As a young apprentice, he first learned wood carving in Paris’s Faubourg Saint-Antoine, a district renowned for its cabinetmakers and craftsmen. He then worked in the emerging aeronautical industry, where lightness, structure and the shaping of surfaces were already essential concerns.

His path eventually led him to automobile coachbuilding. Figoni worked first for Mulbacher, whose clientele included Hispano-Suiza and Rolls-Royce, then for Jansen in Levallois, and finally for Lavocat et Marsaud in Boulogne-Billancourt. These years gave him a thorough understanding of the coachbuilder’s craft: the wooden framework beneath the body, the forming of metal panels by hand, and the delicate balance between strength, weight and proportion.

In November 1923, Figoni decided to work under his own name. He established a small workshop at the corner of rue de l’Église and rue Tisserand in Boulogne-Billancourt.

The beginnings were modest. His workshop was never an industrial operation on the scale of the largest Parisian coachbuilders. Yet his ability to create light, carefully proportioned bodies soon attracted customers and prestigious manufacturers. By the middle of the decade, his coachwork could be found on chassis from Ballot, Bugatti and other distinguished marques.

These early automobiles bore little resemblance to the extravagant creations for which Figoni would later become famous. Their lines were restrained, elegant and functional. Yet the principles that would define his later work were already present: attention to proportion, sensitivity to weight, and an instinct for giving an automobile a sense of movement even when standing still.

Long before the sweeping wings, enclosed wheels and dramatic curves of the 1930s, Joseph Figoni had first learned to master the essential thing: form.

Bugatti with coachwork by Joseph Figoni, late 1920s.

An early example of Joseph Figoni’s craftsmanship, combining Bugatti’s sporting character with the elegant proportions and distinctive detailing of a bespoke convertible body.

Artistic reconstruction inspired by a period photograph. The automobile is shown at an imagined motoring gathering in France in the style of a contemporary black-and-white photograph.

1927 Ballot 15 CV Eight-Cylinder Cabriolet by Joseph Figoni.

Presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1927, this elegant open-bodied Ballot illustrates Joseph Figoni’s early craftsmanship, combining refined coachwork with the imposing proportions of a French eight-cylinder automobile.

Artistic reconstruction inspired by a period photograph. The scene recreates the atmosphere of the 1927 Paris Motor Show at the Grand Palais in the style of a contemporary black-and-white photograph.

II - The Figoni Years: A Style Takes Shape

During the decade following the opening of his workshop, Joseph Figoni gradually established himself among the independent coachbuilders of the Paris region.

His reputation was built not on extravagance, but on craftsmanship. The bodies produced in Boulogne-Billancourt were light, carefully balanced and increasingly distinctive. Alfa Romeo became particularly important to the young coachbuilder, alongside chassis from Ballot, Bugatti and other European manufacturers.

Competition also played a significant role in Figoni’s development.

During the 1920s and early 1930s, racing remained one of the most demanding laboratories for the automobile. Weight had to be reduced, unnecessary surfaces eliminated and the body shaped around mechanical components and occupants as closely as possible.

A particularly important moment came in 1932. Raymond Sommer entrusted his Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 to Figoni, who developed lightweight, aerodynamic modifications to its Zagato coachwork. With Luigi Chinetti as co-driver, Sommer took the car to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that June.

The following year, Sommer and Tazio Nuvolari won the race in another Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, fitted with the Figoni-designed aerodynamic bodywork transferred from the 1932 winner.

Such work gave Figoni practical experience in the relationship between speed, weight and form.

1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, chassis 2111018. Bodied by Joseph Figoni for Raymond Sommer, this car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1932, driven by Sommer and Luigi Chinetti.
AI-assisted historical reconstruction based on period photographs.

1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Roadster, chassis 2211079. Bodied by Joseph Figoni and preserved in its original blue paintwork, the car competed in the Paris–Nice Rally with its first owner, Mr Weinberg.
AI-assisted historical reconstruction based on historical references.

At the same time, the automobile itself was changing.

The upright, architectural bodies inherited from the horse-drawn carriage were gradually giving way to lower profiles and more integrated shapes. Aerodynamics, still an experimental science in automobile design, was beginning to influence the work of engineers and coachbuilders. Windscreens became more inclined, wings flowed more naturally into the body, and sharp transitions increasingly gave way to continuous curves.

Figoni absorbed these developments quickly.

Rather than treating the chassis, bonnet, passenger compartment and wings as separate elements, he increasingly sought to make them part of a single composition. His cars became lower and more fluid, with lines that guided the eye from the radiator towards the rear of the body.

By the early 1930s, this evolution was clearly visible in his work on Alfa Romeo, Delage and other prestigious chassis. Elegance remained important, but movement was becoming equally so. A Figoni body was no longer simply an attractive structure placed upon a chassis; it was beginning to suggest speed through its very shape.

This was the decisive transformation of the early Figoni years.

The spectacular automobiles of the second half of the 1930s had not yet appeared. There were no fully enclosed wings, dramatic teardrop forms or extravagant chromed details. But the foundations were already there: lightness learned through competition, an increasing fascination with aerodynamics, and a determination to treat the automobile as a continuous sculptural form.

By 1935, Joseph Figoni was no longer simply a skilled coachbuilder.

He had begun to develop a language of his own.

1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster by Joseph Figoni, chassis 55221.
Originally built with torpedo coachwork, this Bugatti was rebodied by Joseph Figoni in 1933 and presented at a concours d’élégance with the Comtesse de Rincal-Maïeres. Its striking black-and-white colour scheme highlights the flowing lines of Figoni’s design.
AI-assisted historical reconstruction of a 1933 concours d’élégance scene.

1932 Duesenberg Model J Sports Torpedo by Joseph Figoni, chassis 2509, engine J-465. One of Figoni’s most remarkable early creations, this spectacular roadster was originally finished in white before being repainted in two shades of blue later in 1932. Its sweeping fenders and distinctive curved bonnet louvres illustrate the emerging elegance of Figoni’s designs. AI-assisted historical reconstruction of a French petrol station scene in the early 1930s.

III - Figoni & Falaschi: A Partnership Is Born

In 1935, a new name appeared beside that of Joseph Figoni: Ovidio Falaschi.

Like Figoni, Falaschi was of Italian origin and had made his life in France. But the two men brought very different talents to their partnership. Figoni remained the creator, deeply involved in the conception and construction of the bodies that left the Boulogne-Billancourt workshops. Falaschi brought commercial experience, financial support and a talent for dealing with the increasingly international clientele attracted by Figoni’s work.

The distinction is important.

The extraordinary automobiles that would soon bear the name Figoni & Falaschi were not the product of two designers working side by side. Their forms remained above all the expression of Joseph Figoni’s imagination. Falaschi helped provide the business structure that allowed those ideas to flourish.

The timing could hardly have been better.

By the middle of the 1930s, Figoni had already spent more than a decade refining his craft. At the same time, French luxury manufacturers were producing some of their finest chassis, while wealthy customers increasingly expected a bespoke automobile to be more than merely elegant. At the great concours d’élégance and international motor shows, a unique body could transform a chassis into an event.

Figoni understood this changing world particularly well.

His designs became lower, longer and increasingly fluid. Traditional running boards disappeared. Wings grew into sweeping sculptural forms. Radiators were inclined, windscreens followed the movement of the body, and the boundary between bonnet, passenger compartment and rear body became progressively less distinct.

Colour also became part of the composition. Contrasting tones could emphasize a curve or visually lengthen a body, while chrome trim was increasingly used not simply as decoration but as a line drawn across the automobile’s surface.

The result was something fundamentally different from conventional coachbuilding.

A Figoni & Falaschi automobile was designed to be seen in motion, but also to create an impression while standing still. Its curves caught the light, its proportions suggested speed, and every line seemed to lead naturally into the next.

The partnership with Ovidio Falaschi did not create Joseph Figoni’s style.

It gave that style the stage on which it could reach its fullest expression.

1935 Delahaye 135 Competition Cabriolet by Joseph Figoni, chassis 46060, body no. 566. Designed by Joseph Figoni and presented under the newly established Figoni & Falaschi name at the 1935 Paris Motor Show, this elegant cabriolet symbolises the beginning of their partnership. In this imagined scene at the Grand Palais, Figoni encourages Ovidio Falaschi to turn towards the photographers and pose beside their automobile. The yellow-and-black coachwork reflects the car's documented original colour scheme.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The scene and interaction between the two men are imagined; Figoni's appearance is inspired by a known portrait, while Falaschi is shown from behind, as no verified photograph of him is available.

1936 Delahaye 135 Competition Court Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 46576, body no. 532. Completed in January 1936 for its first owner, Monsieur Jeancart, this remarkable coupé was among the earliest expressions of the new partnership's aerodynamic style. Its sweeping front wings, concealed headlights and sculptural chrome details anticipated some of the most celebrated creations of Figoni & Falaschi. Originally finished in black, the car is imagined here against the elegant arcades of the Hôtel de la Marine, on the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction of a Parisian street scene in 1936. The setting and circumstances are imagined.

IV - Delahaye: The Perfect Canvas

In the mid-1930s, Joseph Figoni found in Delahaye an ideal partner for his evolving ideas.

The transformation of the old Parisian manufacturer had been remarkable. Under the direction of Charles Weiffenbach, Delahaye had moved decisively towards faster and more prestigious automobiles. The introduction of the Type 135 in 1935 provided French coachbuilders with a chassis that combined performance, balance and relatively low proportions with the freedom required for individually commissioned bodies.

For Figoni, that freedom was essential.

The Type 135 allowed him to move further away from the traditional architecture of the motor car. The bonnet could appear longer, the passenger compartment lower, and the wings could become an integral part of the composition rather than separate structures attached to the body.

Yet Figoni’s relationship with Delahaye was not confined to elegance.

Competition was an important part of Delahaye’s revival, and Figoni produced lightweight bodies for cars intended to race. Here, appearance had to serve a practical purpose. Reducing weight and frontal area, controlling airflow and eliminating unnecessary elements encouraged the same principles that were beginning to transform his road cars.

Competition and elegance were not two separate worlds. One helped shape the other.

This became particularly evident in 1936 with the Type 135 Competition Court, a short-wheelbase chassis incorporating features derived from Delahaye’s competition cars. Its proportions offered Figoni an exceptional foundation. Long bonnet, compact cockpit and short wheelbase naturally encouraged a more dramatic silhouette.

His response was increasingly audacious.

Wings stretched into long curves. Running boards disappeared. Body surfaces became smoother and more continuous. The rear of the automobile could taper away rather than end abruptly, while the entire profile seemed increasingly shaped by the passage of air.

These developments coincided with the flourishing of the French concours d’élégance. At such events, the automobile was judged not simply as a machine but as part of a carefully orchestrated presentation of fashion, colour and style. Figoni understood perfectly how to create cars capable of commanding attention in this environment.

Delahaye provided him with the mechanical foundation; Figoni transformed it into movement expressed through metal.

Their collaboration would produce some of the most memorable French automobiles of the decade and would lead Figoni towards increasingly radical experiments in streamlining.

1937 Delahaye 135M Torpedo Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 48666. One of the most spectacular expressions of Joseph Figoni's aerodynamic vision, this extraordinary cabriolet combines sweeping, teardrop-shaped wings with an exceptionally fluid and elegant silhouette. Its distinctive pearl-grey and cherry-red colour scheme was recreated during restoration from surviving traces of the original paintwork. Delivered new to Austria, the car is imagined here during a summer journey through the Austrian Alps in 1937, where its sculptural coachwork contrasts with the natural beauty of the mountain landscape.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The Alpine setting, travellers and circumstances are imagined; the automobile is inspired by the surviving original vehicle.

1938 Delahaye 135 MS Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 60112, body no. 729. Presented at the 1938 Paris Motor Show, this remarkable coupé illustrates the refined elegance of Figoni & Falaschi's aerodynamic coachwork. Its flowing wings, gracefully curved roofline and distinctive blue, white and red grille complement the original ivory finish and deep red leather interior. Restored with the assistance of Claude Figoni, son of Joseph, the automobile is imagined here on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, outside a fashionable couture house, where the artistry of French coachbuilding meets the elegance of Parisian haute couture.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The Parisian street scene, characters and circumstances are imagined; the automobile is based on the surviving historic vehicle.

Before long, however, beauty and competition would meet in an even more direct way.

The Delahayes were going racing.

V - Shaped by Speed

By the mid-1930s, Joseph Figoni had already demonstrated that a racing automobile could be both efficient and beautiful. His work on Alfa Romeo had brought him close to the demands of endurance racing, while his collaboration with Delahaye opened new possibilities on the road and the circuit.

But speed was becoming more than a technical challenge. It was a national ambition.

French manufacturers were determined to regain their place in international competition, and Delahaye was among those leading the effort. Its Type 135 had already demonstrated its sporting potential, but the extraordinary V12 Type 145 would become associated with one of the most celebrated achievements of French motor racing.

On 27 August 1937, at Montlhéry, René Dreyfus completed the required 200 kilometres at an average speed of 146.508 km/h, winning the Prix du Million for Delahaye.

The victory was a triumph for the manufacturer's engineers, mechanics and competition team. Figoni was not responsible for the achievement, but it belonged to the same remarkable period in which French engineering and coachbuilding were pursuing new possibilities with exceptional confidence.

For a coachbuilder, however, racing and luxury presented very different expectations.

A competition car had to justify every component through its purpose. A grand touring automobile, commissioned by a wealthy client, was expected to express individuality, refinement and sometimes extravagance.

Figoni understood both worlds.

He did not simply transfer the appearance of a racing car to a luxurious chassis. Instead, he explored how the sense of speed could survive when practical necessity gave way to artistic freedom.

A sweeping wing might no longer be the simplest solution, but it could suggest movement with extraordinary elegance. A carefully drawn curve could give a stationary automobile the energy of a machine travelling at speed. Even colour and ornament could contribute to this impression when integrated into the overall composition.

This was the paradox that made his work so distinctive.

The discipline of competition had taught him restraint. His imagination encouraged him to go beyond it.

And in the hands of Figoni & Falaschi, the automobile was about to become something more than an expression of speed.

It was becoming a spectacle.

1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C Competition Roadster by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 82928. With its sweeping wings, elongated bonnet and sculptural rear bodywork, this exceptional roadster demonstrates how Figoni & Falaschi transformed the engineering of a competition chassis into an expression of elegance. Its black coachwork and vivid orange leather interior create a striking contrast, while every curve suggests movement, even at rest.

Imagined here outside a village bakery in rural France, the Talbot-Lago awaits its owner, returning with freshly baked bread. A simple moment of everyday life offers a different perspective on an extraordinary automobile, designed not only to be admired, but also to be enjoyed.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The village setting and its characters are imagined; the automobile is based on photographs of the surviving chassis 82928.

1936 Delahaye 135 Compétition Spéciale by Figoni, chassis 46626. Driven by Louis Villeneuve and Jean Viale as car no. 42 in the Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France at Montlhéry on 28 June 1936, this competition roadster illustrates the close relationship between Joseph Figoni's coachbuilding artistry and the demands of motor racing.
Its long, streamlined bonnet, low cockpit and purposeful silhouette reflect the pursuit of speed and efficiency.
The car is imagined here negotiating a bend through the French countryside, in the heat of an afternoon race.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The countryside setting, spectators and circumstances are imagined. The automobile is based on period photographs, with its blue finish inspired by the surviving vehicle.

VI - Automobiles as Spectacle

By the second half of the 1930s, the finest automobiles were no longer presented only as machines.

In Paris and at the fashionable concours d’élégance held throughout France, the automobile had become part of a wider culture of style. Coachwork, fashion and society met in carefully staged displays where a unique car could be judged alongside the elegance of the woman presenting it.

For Figoni & Falaschi, this world offered an extraordinary stage.

Joseph Figoni understood that a motor car could create an immediate visual impression. A silhouette seen from across a show hall or approaching along the avenue of a concours had to possess its own identity. Proportion alone was no longer enough. The automobile needed presence.

His designs became increasingly dramatic.

Wings swept along the sides of the body in long, uninterrupted curves. Headlamps were incorporated more naturally into the overall composition. Running boards disappeared. Door handles and hinges could be concealed. On the most adventurous designs, wheels themselves were partially or completely enclosed, reducing the visual interruption of the body’s flowing surfaces.

Colour was treated with equal care.

Two-tone paint schemes could emphasize the sweep of a wing or separate one sculptural volume from another. Chrome trim traced selected lines, catching the light and directing the eye across the body. These details were not simply added decoration; at their best, they reinforced the architecture of the design.

Figoni also drew inspiration from a world extending far beyond traditional coachbuilding. The streamlined locomotives, aircraft and speed machines of the period all reflected a growing fascination with motion and aerodynamics. At the same time, the decorative arts and contemporary fashion encouraged a new freedom in colour, material and presentation.

The result was a distinctive combination of engineering and theatre.

At the Paris Motor Show, Figoni & Falaschi creations could stand among hundreds of automobiles and still appear unmistakably different. At concours d’élégance, their sweeping forms complemented the dresses, hats and colours chosen for their presentation.

The automobile was no longer merely transporting its owner into fashionable society.

It had become part of the spectacle itself.

And among all the automobiles that emerged from this extraordinary period, one form would come to embody Joseph Figoni’s vision more completely than any other.

It would become known as the Teardrop.

1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrop Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 90112. Finished in its original Noir Iris livery, this extraordinary example of the celebrated Goutte d’Eau was presented by Swiss film actress Myno Burney at the Concours d’Élégance de l’Auto in May 1939.

Its flowing bodywork, sculpted wings and distinctive all-white Dunlop tyres made it a striking expression of the theatrical elegance that defined Figoni & Falaschi’s creations. Here, the automobile is imagined among fashionable guests at a pre-war concours, where coachbuilding, haute couture and social spectacle came together.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The concours setting and participants are imagined. The automobile’s appearance is inspired by period photographs of chassis 90112, including its presentation in May 1939.

1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrop Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 90112. Decades after its original appearance, this remarkable automobile was restored in an elegant two-tone silver and grey finish, revealing anew the sculptural qualities of Joseph Figoni’s celebrated design.

Seen from the front, its deeply curved wings, integrated headlights and narrow oval radiator grille demonstrate the extraordinary harmony between aerodynamic inspiration and artistic craftsmanship. Nearly ninety years after its creation, the Goutte d’Eau remains one of the most distinctive achievements of French coachbuilding.

AI-assisted reconstruction. The setting is imagined; the automobile is represented in its restored two-tone grey appearance, rather than its original Noir Iris livery.

VII - The Teardrop: Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS

Among all the automobiles created by Figoni & Falaschi, none has become more closely associated with the name than the Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS.

Today, these extraordinary coupés are universally known as “Teardrops.” The name perfectly describes their flowing form, but it can also be misleading. They were not a standardized model produced in a single design. Each was individually constructed, and significant differences existed from one body to another.

Their story began with an exceptional chassis.

Under the direction of Anthony Lago, Talbot had been revitalized during the 1930s. The sporting T150-C combined a powerful six-cylinder engine with a sophisticated chassis developed from the company's competition experience. The short-wheelbase T150-C-SS, or Super Sport, provided Figoni with particularly dramatic proportions: a long bonnet, a low passenger compartment and a compact rear section.

Figoni transformed these proportions into sculpture.

The bonnet and front wings seemed to flow into one another. The roof described a continuous arc towards the rear. The tail narrowed gently, while the body appeared to wrap around the wheels rather than simply rest above them.

On some examples, the front wheels remained visually distinct beneath conventional openings. On others, elaborate sweeping panels partially enclosed them, producing the dramatic forms now most readily associated with Figoni & Falaschi.

Even within this small family of automobiles, details varied considerably.

Windscreens, side windows, wheel openings, bumpers, chrome mouldings and the treatment of the wings could differ from one commission to another. Some bodies were comparatively restrained; others pushed Figoni's fascination with flowing surfaces much further.

This individuality was fundamental to the world of bespoke coachbuilding.

1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrop Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 90111.

One of the rare open-bodied interpretations of Figoni’s celebrated Teardrop design, this cabriolet combines flowing, partially enclosed wings with a low windscreen and an elegantly sculpted rear deck. Its distinctive proportions demonstrate how the same design philosophy could produce automobiles of remarkably different character.

Finished here in off-white with red wings and matching red leather upholstery, it is imagined during a journey through the French countryside, outside a village inn where travellers pause for refreshments and consult their route.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The journey, setting and people are imagined. The ivory and red exterior reflects the automobile’s documented original colour scheme.

1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C Lago Spéciale Teardrop Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 90034.

An exceptional interpretation of the Goutte d’Eau, this unique coupé was built on the longer-wheelbase Lago Spéciale chassis. Its independent headlights, exposed wire wheels, sweeping wings and distinctive chrome mouldings set it apart from the more enveloping Teardrop designs.

Reimagined in its original dark metallic blue with a light-coloured interior, the automobile is pictured outside an elegant casino in the late 1930s, amid the discreet glamour of European nightlife.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The casino, setting and people are imagined; the automobile is represented in its documented original colour scheme.

VIII - Delahaye 165: A French Dream in New York

If the Talbot-Lago Teardrop demonstrated the purity of Figoni’s flowing forms, the Delahaye Type 165 revealed another side of his imagination.

Here, restraint gave way to theatre.

Created at the end of the 1930s, the Type 165 combined one of Delahaye’s most exceptional chassis with coachwork conceived to astonish. Figoni & Falaschi clothed it in a low, sweeping roadster body whose front wings curved dramatically along the sides, framing the wheels before flowing towards the doors.

The effect was unlike almost anything else on the road.

The long bonnet emphasized the proportions of the chassis, while the low windscreen and disappearing convertible top preserved the purity of the silhouette. Chrome accents followed the major curves of the body, turning reflections into part of the design itself.

Nothing seemed accidental. Even the most extravagant details contributed to the sense of movement.

One of these remarkable roadsters became part of a much larger spectacle in 1939, when France prepared its presence at the New York World’s Fair.

The exhibition’s theme, “The World of Tomorrow,” celebrated technology, design and visions of a modern future. For France, luxury craftsmanship remained an essential part of its cultural identity, and the Delahaye represented a particularly striking expression of that tradition.

Placed thousands of kilometres from the Parisian workshops where it had been created, the automobile became more than an exclusive motor car.

It became an ambassador.

To American visitors, its sweeping wings, brilliant surfaces and extraordinary proportions offered an image of French design radically different from the automobiles surrounding them. It combined the traditional skills of the coachbuilder with a fascination for speed and modernity that belonged unmistakably to the late 1930s.

There was also something almost symbolic about the moment.

Figoni & Falaschi had reached an international audience just as the world that had made such automobiles possible was approaching its end. Wealthy patrons, great motor shows, concours d’élégance and individually commissioned bodies had created the environment in which Joseph Figoni’s imagination could flourish.

In New York, that world was displayed at its most confident.

Only months later, Europe would be at war.

The Delahaye 165 therefore stands today not simply as one of Figoni & Falaschi’s most spectacular creations, but as an automobile poised at the edge of two eras.

It represented the culmination of a decade in which the French coachbuilder had been free to transform machinery into sculpture.

And then, almost overnight, everything changed.

1938 Delahaye Type 165 V12 Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 60743 and 60744.

Two extraordinary cabriolets were created by Figoni & Falaschi on Delahaye's Type 165 chassis, combining the dramatic proportions of a V12 grand touring automobile with some of the coachbuilder's most ambitious sculptural forms.

In this imagined scene, both bodies are taking shape in the Paris workshops. Their unfinished aluminium panels reveal the sweeping wings, elongated bonnets and intricate curves that would eventually be complemented by polished chrome details. Around them, skilled craftsmen work patiently to transform metal into sculpture.

The first automobile was presented at the 1938 Paris Motor Show, while its sister car would travel to New York for the 1939 World's Fair.

AI-assisted historical reconstruction. The workshop scene, craftsmen and simultaneous construction of the two automobiles are imagined; their presence together at this stage of production is not historically documented.

Delahaye Type 165, New York World's Fair, 1939.

Having crossed the Atlantic from France, the stunning Delahaye Type 165, chassis no. 60744, arrives in New York for the 1939 World's Fair.

Its flowing lines, sculpted by Figoni & Falaschi, embody the elegance and creativity of French coachbuilding at its finest.
Against the backdrop of the exhibition's monumental Trylon and Perisphere, the automobile becomes an ambassador of French craftsmanship, destined to captivate visitors to the French Pavilion.

Even amid the excitement of a world's fair devoted to the future, such a remarkable creation could hardly pass unnoticed.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The arrival scene is imagined and should not be interpreted as a documented historical photograph.

Delahaye Type 165 V12 Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 60744. New York World's Fair, 1939.

Presented at the French Pavilion of the 1939 New York World's Fair, the Delahaye Type 165 embodied the artistry and technical ambition of French luxury coachbuilding. Its sweeping wings, elongated bonnet, sculpted bodywork and flowing chrome accents transformed an automobile into a work of art.

Against the modern architecture of the French Pavilion, this stunning cabriolet symbolised a remarkable contrast: the finest traditions of handcrafted coachbuilding presented at an exhibition devoted to The World of Tomorrow. For visitors discovering its dramatic silhouette, the Delahaye offered a vision of beauty in which engineering and artistic expression became inseparable.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The outdoor display, podium and visitors are imagined; the precise exhibition setting of the Delahaye has not been historically documented.

IX - War and a Changed World

In September 1939, the world in which Figoni & Falaschi had flourished came abruptly to an end.

The great concours d’élégance disappeared. International motor shows were suspended, private commissions became scarce, and the French automobile industry was progressively redirected towards the necessities of war.

For a coachbuilder whose finest creations depended upon wealthy clients, prestigious chassis and hundreds of hours of skilled handwork, there could be no continuation as before.

The extraordinary automobiles that had captivated Paris, London and New York belonged to a world that was rapidly disappearing.

The Workshops During the Occupation

Following the German occupation of France in 1940, the workshops of Figoni & Falaschi in Boulogne-Billancourt were requisitioned and put to work manufacturing aircraft components.

The transformation was profound.

The same premises that had produced some of the most imaginative automobile bodies of the 1930s were now devoted to industrial production dictated by wartime circumstances.

Joseph Figoni reportedly retained the use of a small section of the workshops, where he manufactured domestic heating appliances.

It was a remarkable contrast.

Only a few years earlier, craftsmen had been shaping sweeping aluminium wings, carefully fitting elaborate chrome trim and polishing the extraordinary bodies destined for the most prestigious concours d’élégance.

Now, the skills and equipment of the workshops were being employed for entirely different purposes.

The surviving historical record does not establish a continuous programme of new Figoni & Falaschi automobile creations between 1940 and 1945.

For the company, as for so many independent French coachbuilders, the war represented far more than an interruption in production. It disrupted the economic and social world upon which the entire profession depended.

Delahaye 135 MS Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 60173. Vichy, France, 1942.

Originally delivered in 1939 to the French singer known as La Môme Moineau, this elegant silver-grey Delahaye was registered on 28 July 1942 in the name of Porfirio Rubirosa, chargé d’affaires of the Dominican Republic, under the diplomatic registration CD 143 NH.

Against the sombre backdrop of wartime France, its graceful coachwork evokes the vanished splendour of the pre-war concours d’élégance. An automobile conceived for a world of luxury and celebration now belonged to an entirely different era.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The rainy evening outside Vichy’s Hôtel du Parc and the figures depicted are imagined. No historical evidence establishes that the automobile was present at this location.

A Different France

When peace returned in 1945, Figoni & Falaschi faced a country profoundly changed by six years of conflict.

France was rebuilding.

Raw materials remained scarce, industrial capacity had to be restored, and government policy increasingly favoured manufacturers capable of producing economical vehicles for a population in urgent need of practical transportation.

The great French luxury marques faced an uncertain future.

Delahaye, Delage, Talbot-Lago and Hotchkiss had survived the war, but the wealthy clientele that had sustained their most exclusive models was considerably diminished.

The fiscal burden on large-engined automobiles, together with rising production costs and changing social expectations, further weakened the domestic market.

Exports became increasingly important, particularly for manufacturers hoping to earn foreign currency through the sale of prestigious automobiles abroad.

Yet the tradition of bespoke coachbuilding did not disappear overnight.

There were still clients who wanted exceptional automobiles, and there were still manufacturers who believed that elegance, performance and exclusivity could restore the international reputation of French luxury cars.

The Return of Creativity

Joseph Figoni returned to his drawing board.

But he did not simply reproduce the forms of 1939.

The sweeping wings and voluptuous curves that had defined the previous decade began to evolve. Automotive design was moving towards a different visual language, with wider bodies, increasingly integrated wings and a more unified relationship between bonnet, passenger compartment and luggage space.

Figoni understood that the automobile itself was changing.

His post-war creations remained unmistakably expressive, but they belonged to a new era.

Some displayed greater restraint and a more modern sense of proportion. Others demonstrated that his appetite for dramatic form had survived the conflict intact.

The celebrated Delahaye 135 MS Narval, associated with the 1946 Paris Motor Show, would become one of the most striking expressions of this renewed creativity.

Its extraordinary lines proved that Figoni's imagination had not been extinguished by the war.

But the circumstances in which such automobiles could be conceived, commissioned and built had changed forever.

The great age of individually commissioned coachwork was approaching its end.

For a few more years, the workshops of Figoni & Falaschi would continue to produce automobiles unlike anything built on an assembly line.

They would be the final creations of a disappearing world.

Delahaye 135 Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 800308. France, 1946.

Completed in June 1946 for Mr Timsitt, a member of the French diplomatic staff in Argentina, this elegant cabriolet was shipped to Buenos Aires shortly after its completion.

As France emerged from the devastation of war, overseas customers offered new opportunities for the great coachbuilders. This Delahaye, with its flowing lines and distinctive two-tone coachwork, symbolises both the survival of French craftsmanship and the beginning of a new chapter.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The departure scene at Le Havre is imagined; the actual port of shipment has not been established. The colours reflect the car's restored appearance.

X - The Last Great Creations

When Figoni & Falaschi returned to the international motor shows after the war, Joseph Figoni faced a difficult challenge.

The visual language that had made his reputation belonged unmistakably to the 1930s. Simply repeating it would have meant looking backwards. Yet abandoning it entirely would have meant losing the identity he had spent two decades creating.

His answer was not restraint.

It was reinvention.

The new generation of large French chassis provided an opportunity. Delahaye introduced the Types 175, 178 and 180, conceived as modern successors to its pre-war luxury cars. Talbot-Lago, meanwhile, continued to offer powerful grand touring chassis for the small number of customers still able to commission individually built automobiles.

Figoni approached these cars with the same determination to make them visually unmistakable.

The separate flowing wings of the 1930s increasingly gave way to broader, more integrated body surfaces. Front and rear volumes became part of a continuous composition, while grilles, chrome mouldings and sweeping decorative elements were used to emphasize width and movement.

Some of Figoni's most distinctive post-war creations had their origins in ideas explored before the conflict.

The extraordinary Lancia Belna and the celebrated Delahaye Narval reveal how a singular design language evolved across two very different eras.

Lancia Belna Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, 1938 chassis, coachwork completed in 1946.

Begun in 1939 and completed only after the Second World War, this remarkable cabriolet represents a fascinating link between Figoni’s pre-war creations and his final designs.

Its distinctive rounded bonnet, sculpted front wings and headlights concealed behind vertical grilles anticipate the styling of the celebrated Delahaye Narval cabriolets of 1947.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The scene outside the Grand Palais during the 1946 Paris Motor Show is imagined. The original body colour has not been established; the pale blue-grey finish is a hypothetical interpretation.

1947 Delahaye 135 MS Narval Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 800495.

One of the most celebrated post-war creations of Figoni & Falaschi, this spectacular cabriolet belonged to French singer Charles Trenet.

Its flowing wings, distinctive four-headlamp arrangement and dramatic front-end design illustrate the evolution of Figoni's aerodynamic styling.

The car is depicted in its original Orange Brûlé finish, later restored after a period in light blue.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The Parisian theatre scene and Charles Trenet concert posters are imagined, evoking the world of its famous owner rather than a documented historical event.

Among the most striking were the dramatic Delahayes whose front wings swept backwards in great arcs along the sides of the body. Chrome could outline these curves almost like a pencil tracing Figoni’s original drawing across the finished automobile.

The effect was theatrical, but deliberately so.

Figoni was designing for an era in which the great motor show had become one of the last stages available to the independent coachbuilder. A unique automobile needed to attract attention immediately, surrounded by increasingly modern production cars whose smooth, integrated bodies were now being designed in-house by manufacturers.

Talbot-Lago offered another field for experimentation.

Figoni & Falaschi created coupés and cabriolets on the marque’s post-war chassis, translating the flowing forms of the pre-war period into heavier, more architectural compositions. The proportions had changed, but the underlying intention remained familiar: the eye should travel continuously along the automobile.

These cars reveal a coachbuilder refusing to stand still.

They also reveal the difficulty of the moment.

Before the war, an individually bodied automobile could represent the most advanced expression of automotive design. By the late 1940s, mass-produced cars were themselves becoming lower, wider and more aerodynamic. Many of the ideas pioneered by specialist coachbuilders had entered mainstream automobile design.

The distinction between the unique creation and the production automobile was narrowing.

Figoni could still create extraordinary shapes. His craftsmen could still transform drawings into complex wooden frameworks and hand-formed metal panels. Clients could still order automobiles that existed nowhere else.

But there were fewer clients, fewer suitable chassis and fewer manufacturers capable of sustaining this world.

The final Figoni & Falaschi creations therefore possess a particular fascination.

They are not pale echoes of the company’s golden age.

They are the work of a creator still searching for new forms while the very profession that had made those forms possible was disappearing around him.

1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 110103.

One of the most remarkable creations of Figoni & Falaschi's final years, this extraordinary streamlined coupé combines sweeping aerodynamic lines with an unusual glazed roof, giving its silhouette an almost aeronautical character.

Its sculpted bodywork, enclosed rear wheels and distinctive Art Deco detailing demonstrate the coachbuilder's continuing inventiveness in the years following the Second World War.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The Parisian street scene and the woman approaching the car are imagined, inspired by a period photograph of this very automobile.

1947 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 100109.

With its sweeping front wings, elegant proportions and beautifully sculpted rear bodywork, this cabriolet illustrates the refinement of Figoni & Falaschi's post-war creations.

Presented here in pale blue with red leather upholstery, reflecting its reported original colour scheme, it embodies the enduring elegance of French coachbuilding at a time when the era of bespoke automobiles was drawing to a close.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The French village café scene, imagined around 1948, is fictional and does not represent a documented historical event.

XI - The End of an Era

The decline of Figoni & Falaschi was not caused by a sudden loss of creativity.

The world that had sustained the company was disappearing.

Before the war, a luxury automobile was often created in two distinct stages. A manufacturer supplied the chassis, engine and mechanical components; the customer then entrusted that chassis to a coachbuilder, who created an individual body around it.

This separation had allowed firms such as Figoni & Falaschi to flourish.

After 1945, it became increasingly difficult to sustain.

Automobile construction was moving rapidly towards integrated production. Manufacturers designed complete cars, and the adoption of unitary construction progressively reduced the possibility of purchasing a separate chassis and sending it elsewhere to be clothed.

Economics accelerated the transformation.

A hand-built body required enormous amounts of skilled labour. Wooden frameworks had to be constructed individually, metal panels formed by hand, doors fitted, interiors trimmed and countless details adjusted for a single automobile. Such methods could never compete economically with increasingly efficient industrial production.

France presented additional difficulties.

Post-war industrial policy concentrated resources on rebuilding the economy and producing practical cars in large numbers. Steel and other materials remained controlled in the immediate post-war years, while fiscal measures strongly penalized automobiles with large engines.

The consequences for France's traditional luxury manufacturers were severe.

Delage had already lost its independence before the war and survived under Delahaye, but Delahaye itself ceased automobile production in the 1950s. Talbot-Lago struggled on with increasingly limited resources. Other prestigious French names either disappeared or abandoned the uppermost reaches of the market.

For independent coachbuilders, every lost luxury marque meant fewer chassis on which to work.

1951 Simca 8 1200 Sport Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis no. 877553.

One of only six examples reportedly bodied by the celebrated Parisian coachbuilder, this rare coupé was sold new in Belgium through L’Auto-Locomotion of Brussels. Remarkably preserved in the same family for decades, it retained its original paintwork, distinctive red leather interior and historical documentation when offered at Bonhams' Paris auction in 2014.

A modest automobile compared with the great pre-war commissions, it nevertheless illustrates Figoni & Falaschi’s determination to preserve the art of individual coachwork in a rapidly changing industry.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The automobile is depicted in a restored period appearance. The setting evokes Avenue Louise in Brussels around 1951; the storefronts and scene are imaginative reconstructions, not a documented view of the dealership.

1952 Citroën 15 Six “Le Squale” by Figoni & Falaschi.

Presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1952, this extraordinary one-off coupé demonstrated Joseph Figoni’s determination to pursue innovative coachwork in the final years of his career.

Built on a Citroën Traction Avant 15 Six chassis, its distinctive shark-like nose, sculpted front wings and flowing roofline reflected the aerodynamic imagination that had made Figoni famous before the war.
Intended for limited production, the design reportedly remained unique. Its subsequent fate remains uncertain.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction of the Citroën “Le Squale” at the Grand Palais, Paris, in 1952. The exhibition setting and dark anthracite body colour are artistic interpretations based on period photographs, not an exact reproduction of the original display.

There was another, more subtle change.

The automobile industry had learned the lessons that specialist coachbuilders had helped to develop. Lower bodies, integrated wings, inclined windscreens and aerodynamic surfaces were no longer exotic ideas reserved for unique creations. They were becoming features of ordinary production automobiles.

Beauty itself was being industrialized.

The great Parisian coachbuilders began to disappear one after another, or turned towards other forms of work. The extraordinary ecosystem of designers, panel beaters, carpenters, trimmers and craftsmen that had surrounded the French luxury automobile gradually contracted.

Figoni & Falaschi could not escape this transformation.

In 1951, the Figoni family acquired Ovidio Falaschi’s interest in the company, bringing their partnership to an end. The business subsequently continued under the name Figoni & Cie, with Joseph Figoni still searching for opportunities in a rapidly shrinking market and producing bodies on more modest chassis, including Simca.

But the age of the grand commission was effectively over. There would be no new generation of Delahaye 165s or Talbot-Lago Teardrops because there was no longer a world capable of creating them in the same way.

Yet Joseph Figoni's creativity had not disappeared.

Working with more modest automobiles, particularly Simca models, he continued to explore new shapes and proportions. The extraordinary luxury chassis of the 1930s had given way to smaller, more economical cars, but the desire to create something distinctive remained.

The Simca 8, the Aronde coupés and cabriolets, and the unusual Filante demonstrated that Figoni was still searching for elegance and individuality, even as the market for bespoke coachwork steadily contracted.

By 1955, regular coachbuilding activity had effectively come to an end. Yet Figoni appears to have continued producing occasional individual creations. Accounts of his later work mention two Simca Aronde Monaco cabriolets completed in 1959 and 1960, remarkable final expressions of a craft that had almost vanished.

These automobiles could no longer command the resources or prestige of the great pre-war commissions. But they showed that Figoni had never entirely abandoned the principles that had guided his career: proportion, originality and the belief that an automobile deserved to be beautiful.

The business gradually turned towards maintenance and repair, and in 1961 Figoni became a Lancia agent. The transformation was complete: the workshop that had once created some of the most extraordinary automobiles in the world had become part of the ordinary commercial life of the motor industry.

But this was not the story of an artist who had run out of ideas.

It was the story of an artist whose world had disappeared around him.

1953 Simca 9 Sport “Coach Spécial Aronde” by Joseph Figoni, body no. 1181.

Built as a unique creation and first registered in 1954, this elegant coupé combines elements inspired by the Simca 8 Sport with rear bodywork derived from a Ghia design for Autobleu.
Its distinctive panoramic rear window reflects Figoni's continuing creativity during the final years of his coachbuilding career. Presented in its restored ivory-and-black livery, the car retains its original green leather upholstery.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The automobile is depicted in its documented restored colour scheme, while the 1950s Parisian street scene is fictional.

1959–1960 Simca Aronde P60 Monaco Cabriolet by Joseph Figoni. Among the last creations attributed to the celebrated French coachbuilder, this elegant cabriolet demonstrates that Figoni's imagination remained very much alive, even as the market for bespoke coachwork had almost disappeared. Its distinctive vertical-bar grille, sweeping chrome side trim and graceful open bodywork reveal his continuing determination to give an ordinary production automobile an individual character. Only two examples are reported to have been built, one of which is said to have become Figoni's personal car.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction. The automobile is presented in the black livery of the surviving example photographed today. The French service station, imagined around 1960, is fictional and does not represent a documented historical event.

The machines survived.

The world that created them did not.

XII - The Legacy of Joseph Figoni

Joseph Figoni’s career as an independent coachbuilder lasted little more than three decades.

Yet the visual language he developed remains instantly recognizable.

His importance does not rest upon a single invention. Figoni did not discover aerodynamics, nor was he alone in exploring streamlined automobile design. Throughout Europe and America, engineers and designers were searching for ways to reduce resistance and give machines a more modern appearance.

What distinguished Figoni was the way he transformed these ideas into emotion.

He understood that an automobile could suggest speed without moving. A curve beginning at the front wing could guide the eye along an entire body. A roofline could continue almost uninterrupted into the tail. Wheels, lamps, handles and other mechanical necessities could be absorbed into a larger composition rather than allowed to break it apart.

This search for continuity became one of his signatures.

But Figoni was never governed by aerodynamics alone.

His finest automobiles reveal an unusual sensitivity to light. Their surfaces swell, narrow and change direction gradually, creating reflections that move across the body as the observer walks around it. Chrome mouldings and contrasting colours were often positioned to reinforce these movements.

The automobile became a three-dimensional composition.

This helps explain why Figoni’s work remains so difficult to appreciate fully in a single photograph. His designs were not conceived only as profiles. Their volumes change constantly according to viewpoint, and details that may appear extravagant in isolation often make sense only when seen as part of the complete form.

There was also courage in his work.

1927 Bugatti Type 38 Cabriolet “Philadelphia” by Figoni, chassis no. 38345.

With its elegant proportions, restrained two-tone coachwork and distinctive convertible body, this Bugatti illustrates Joseph Figoni’s early craftsmanship, long before his celebrated partnership with Ovidio Falaschi.

Its refined lines and carefully balanced details reflect the transition from traditional coachbuilding towards the more expressive designs that would later establish Figoni’s reputation.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction of the surviving Bugatti Type 38 with its beige soft top raised, imagined on a Parisian boulevard lined with Haussmann-style buildings in the late 1920s. The setting is fictional; the automobile’s appearance is inspired by photographs of the preserved vehicle.

1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet by Figoni, chassis no. 2311212.

With its long bonnet, elegantly sculpted wings and distinctive two-tone coachwork, this exceptional Alfa Romeo illustrates Joseph Figoni’s artistic vision before his celebrated partnership with Ovidio Falaschi. Originally created for French collector Roger Goldet, the Figoni body was later transferred to chassis 2311212. Its present silver-grey and deep red livery reflects a subsequent restoration, while the original coachwork was reportedly finished in two shades of blue. A remarkable example of Figoni’s early mastery of sporting elegance.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction of the surviving Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 in its present colour scheme, imagined in a northern Italian village around 1934. The historical setting is fictional, and the automobile’s appearance is inspired by photographs of the restored vehicle.

Figoni was prepared to exaggerate. He stretched wings beyond what convention required, enclosed wheels, concealed functional elements and allowed decorative lines to sweep across entire bodies. Not every experiment achieved the same balance, but the willingness to experiment was fundamental to his creativity.

At his best, however, extravagance never overwhelmed proportion.

That balance is perhaps the reason the finest Figoni automobiles have aged so remarkably well. They belong unmistakably to the 1930s and 1940s, yet they do not merely illustrate the fashions of their time. They possess an identity of their own.

Their influence is also visible in a broader transformation of automobile design.

The integrated body, the disappearance of separate running boards and wings, the treatment of the automobile as a unified volume and the use of aerodynamic form as an expression of modernity all became commonplace in the decades that followed.

Figoni was one of many designers who helped make that transformation possible, but few pursued it with such freedom.

Today, the surviving automobiles carry two histories at once.

They preserve the work of Joseph Figoni, but also that of the craftsmen whose names rarely appeared on a badge: the carpenters who created the wooden frames, the panel beaters who formed complex curves by hand, the trimmers who completed the interiors, and the painters and finishers who turned raw materials into a finished automobile.

Figoni imagined the form.

They gave it substance.

Together, they created automobiles that could only have emerged from a particular moment in history, when engineering, craftsmanship, fashion and individual patronage briefly came together.

That world has disappeared.

Its shapes have not.

1948 Delahaye 135 M “El Glaoui” Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis no. 801620.

Believed to be the last of approximately 18 El Glaoui cabriolets, this remarkable Delahaye was commissioned by British enthusiast B. Grieg after he admired Figoni & Falaschi’s work at the Paris Motor Show. Each example featured individual details, making every car subtly different. Later preserved in distinguished British, Canadian and American collections, chassis 801620 survives as an elegant expression of the coachbuilder’s post-war artistry.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction of the restored Delahaye 135 M in its black livery with red leather interior, imagined in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris, around 1949. The historical setting is fictional; the automobile’s appearance is inspired by photographs of the surviving vehicle.

1947 Bentley Mk VI Coupé by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis no. B9AJ.

The only Bentley ever bodied by Figoni & Falaschi.

This exceptional coupé illustrates the coachbuilder’s ability to adapt his distinctive artistic language to British luxury. Its sweeping wings, sculpted rear body and traditional Bentley radiator grille create an unusual combination of French elegance and British character, making it a remarkable testament to Figoni’s post-war legacy.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction of the surviving Bentley Mk VI in its present black livery, set in the courtyard of an imaginary French château.
The setting is fictional; the automobile’s appearance is inspired by photographs of the restored vehicle.

Among the most extraordinary automobiles associated with Joseph Figoni is the:
1936 Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic, chassis 57473,
originally delivered to Jacques and Yvonne Holtzschuch.

Designed by Jean Bugatti, the Atlantic was already a masterpiece of automotive design.
Yet, during the late 1930s, the car underwent significant alterations, traditionally attributed to Figoni.
These included modifications to its doors, side windows and rear wings, subtly transforming the appearance of an already exceptional automobile.

Its subsequent history was tragic.
In 1955, the Atlantic was involved in a fatal collision with a train and was severely damaged.
Decades later, an extensive restoration by Paul Russell and his team brought the car back to the configuration associated with Figoni, drawing upon surviving components, period photographs and historical research.

Over the decades, chassis 57473 appeared in several liveries, from its original black to the blue and grey finishes of its later history.
Its most recent restoration returned the car to the grey appearance it wore shortly before the tragic accident of 1955.

Although the precise authorship of these modifications remains debated, chassis 57473 offers a fascinating illustration of the dialogue between two of the greatest artistic traditions in French coachbuilding: the engineering and design genius of Bugatti, and the sculptural elegance associated with Joseph Figoni.

1936 Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic Coupé, chassis no. 57473.

The surviving Atlantic in its restored Battleship Grey livery, following the extensive reconstruction undertaken by Paul Russell and his team.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction of the restored automobile outside an imaginary restoration workshop. The setting is fictional; the car's appearance is inspired by photographs of the surviving vehicle.

Epilogue - Sculpting Motion

There are automobiles that reveal their age immediately.

And there are others that seem to belong only to themselves.

The finest creations of Joseph Figoni have that rare quality.

They are unmistakably products of their time, born from the optimism, elegance and fascination with speed that shaped the years between the wars. Yet nearly a century later, their forms can still appear surprising.

Perhaps this is because Figoni never treated an automobile simply as a collection of necessary parts.

He saw movement.

A wing could become a gesture. A roof could become an arc. A line of chrome could lead the eye across a surface, while a wheel could almost disappear within the body surrounding it.

Steel seemed to lose its weight.

That illusion was Figoni’s particular gift.

Behind it lay years of apprenticeship, knowledge of construction, experience gained through competition and the extraordinary skill of the craftsmen who transformed drawings into wood and metal. But the finished automobile concealed that effort.

What remained was the line.

From the restrained bodies of his early years to the extraordinary Talbot-Lago and Delahaye creations that made his name, Joseph Figoni pursued the same elusive idea: to give a stationary object the sensation of movement.

Ovidio Falaschi helped give that vision the means and the stage to reach an international audience.

Together, for sixteen remarkable years, their names represented one of the most distinctive expressions of French coachbuilding.

The workshops have disappeared. The concours d’élégance of that era are memories. The craftsmen have put down their tools, and the great bare chassis no longer arrive at a coachbuilder’s door waiting to be transformed.

But place one of these automobiles before us today, and something remains unchanged.

Our eye follows the curve.

And the car begins to move.

1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental, rebodied by Figoni & Falaschi in 1936, chassis no. 2MS.

Originally fitted with coachwork by Windovers, this remarkable Rolls-Royce was rebodied by Figoni & Falaschi in 1936 for its distinguished Nepalese owner. Combining British engineering with French coachbuilding artistry, its elegant four-door body features sweeping wings, flowing lines and a distinctive streamlined rear. The automobile was presented at the Deauville Concours d’Élégance in July 1939.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction inspired by photographs of the surviving automobile, depicted in its later deep-blue livery outside an elegant residence in London's Mayfair district, circa 1938. The setting and colour interpretation are artistic rather than a documented historical scene.

1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet by Figoni, chassis no. 2311212.

With its long bonnet, elegantly sculpted wings and distinctive two-tone coachwork, this exceptional Alfa Romeo illustrates Joseph Figoni’s artistic vision before his celebrated partnership with Ovidio Falaschi. Originally created for French collector Roger Goldet, the Figoni body was later transferred to chassis 2311212. Its present silver-grey and deep red livery reflects a subsequent restoration, while the original coachwork was reportedly finished in two shades of blue. A remarkable example of Figoni’s early mastery of sporting elegance.

AI-assisted artistic reconstruction of the surviving Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 in its present colour scheme, imagined in a northern Italian village around 1934. The historical setting is fictional, and the automobile’s appearance is inspired by photographs of the restored vehicle.

About the Ilario Journal

The Ilario Journal is a free editorial project dedicated to sharing the history, craftsmanship, and beauty of exceptional automobiles and their coachbuilders.
These articles are offered freely to enthusiasts and collectors, with no subscription or payment required. They are created out of a passion for automotive heritage and the pleasure of sharing knowledge.

About the illustrations

All illustrations in this article were created with the assistance of AI specifically for Ilario. Each is an original visual interpretation inspired by the historical record. They are intended to illustrate the story, not to represent historical photographs.

© 2026 Ilario / Carbone 43. Original editorial content and creative direction. Reproduction or reuse requires prior permission.

Selected Ilario Figoni & Falaschi Models

At Ilario, every Figoni & Falaschi miniature is more than a faithful scale model.
It is a tribute to an era when automobiles were not simply manufactured, but imagined, shaped by hand and brought to life by some of the greatest coachbuilders the world has ever known.

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